Silver Chains【SYOC CLOSED】
by Akyzae
Summary: In Tokyo, failing to blend in with your surroundings was supposedly an immediate death sentence. For those in the 9th ward, it's the complete opposite. Specimen #62 is considered the lowest of his kind, falling down to the deepest depths of cannibalism, yet still not being caught in such an act. But living in such a hostile environment, things were bound to not stay safe for long..
1. Introductory 1

**An introduction that was SUPPOSED to be SHORT -**

_11 years ago._

She felt the heavy ascending footsteps impeding on her, approaching her with carnivorous mechanisms clutched between their fingers, but yet her limp body still wriggled underneath the wreckage, determined to get away from their malicious impediment. The infant in her arms failed to stir, completely enveloped in a morbid silence, their small thumbs positioned in their mouth as they soundly slept underneath her solid cover. With relief, she sighed and pulled them closer, their warmth fully converging with her own. If there was anything in the world that she wanted, it was for the child to grow up and live a life unhindered, even if it meant that she wouldn't be there to enjoy it with them.

Slowly, she pulled herself from under another piece of disintegrated steel, her body quivering as she hauled herself through. The glimmer of light was beginning to become much more visible, it's taunting rays skimming over the surface like a guidance signal, telepathically calling her name over and over again. Her body heaved itself out, herself stumbling to her feet and, herself fuelled by sheer adrenaline, blundering in a mad dash towards the crevice.

Outside, the break of daylight was echoing over the tree tops, the chimes and natural temperament of nature filling the air. Except, interfering with her so called 'plans', the closest ground was at least twenty stories below her, separating her from her bounds and the nearest possible freedom.

She'd have to climb down, she supposed, even if it cost her a limb or two.

A pipe was funnelling down the corner of the wall, it's spacing barely being enough to fit her scrawny fingers around. Even though the thing was moderately cracked and looked like it would collapse if even an ounce of her body weight were to hang off of it, it was the only viable option to escape. It wasn't like throwing yourself off a twenty story building and surviving was possible, even if you were a ghoul.

Taking a hold of the opposing window frame, she lowered herself slightly, her foot coming into contact with the top of the pipeline. Taking a deep breath, she repeated this action about five times over before finally coming accustomed to the gradient. Next on the list was to lower herself.

She realised, even though her chances were slim, she may of have a chance to escape the harsh reality - alive. Everything seemed so much clearer now, the foliage and flutter of birds below louder than it was before. Yet again taking another deep breath, she lowered herself a bit further.

With all hope there came repercussions, however.

A firm grasp flew over her mouth, sieging her breath and pulling her back in the building. Her grip tightened around the infant, it's wails of hurt reconstituting as she slammed against the ground. Vision clouded, she saw a figure hovering above her, their magnificent glare burning holes into her eyes. Once her vision adjusted, it was fairly obvious to who they were. Someone who brought back memories to which she would've much preferred to remain undercover.

Eren, a previous lover of hers. Once he had found about her ghoulhood, he had taken all operative measures against her.

A massive thorn in her side, no doubt.

His overlooking presence was terrifying, looking down upon her like a hawk eyed their pray. In an instant, her heart began to race, conjoining with her throat.

'I never thought you were stupid enough to try to escape... It's quite hilarious, actually.'

Hearing his mocking insults, the woman tried to speak back a response. When all she heard were silenced squeaks, she realised her attempts had been futile. The male above her laughed a little.

'If you want to take something, you'll have to give something in return. Let's see... I'll let you go if you leave that blasted child of yours behind.'

Upon hearing this, the female violently shook her head, her grip ever tightening around the child. When the male had tried to pry them away from her, the child had failed to loosen.

'I see, you want to play like this? Fine then, have it your way.'

With no previous warning whatsoever, the male brought his heel down on her nose, significantly breaking it and causing the female to jolt in pain. Using this chance as a window, he swooped the child out of her clutches and into his own. Watching the female cling to her nose in torment, the male had chuckled a little.

'Bye bye, you won't be missed.' He scoffed, implanting his foot into her back and rolling her off the edge, watching with a limp smile as she skyrocketed down the building. Within a few seconds she hit the ground, her blood painting the street with hues of bright red.

**My first experience trying a Tokyo Ghoul SYOC, so this'll be interesting. At most I'll be accepting 6-7 OCs, so come on in! c:**

**Name:**

**Nickname?:**

**Age:**

**Gender:**

**Sexuality:**

**Appearance (the more detailed it is, the better your OC will be shown/described.):**

**Clothing:**

**Kagune Type:**

**Ghoul Ranking:**

**Strengths:**

**Weaknesses:**

**Likes:**

**Dislikes:**

**Personality (should be the most detailed thing of the whole form.):**

**History:**

**Occupation:**

**Relationships (any kind, whether family or romantic):**

**Or, if you want to be human, you may. Just ignore the Ghoul parameters.**


	2. Introductory 2

**SYOC STILL ****OPEN****.**

The evenings schedule was far from being followed, it seemed.

Almost everyone in the room had started a pathetic argument over a minor detail, therefore prohibiting the group to go on with their daily matters. What were they arguing over again? The younger ghouls not receiving their proper treatment, perhaps? Klo would have no part of it.

By the right wall, Rena had literally gone red with anger, hands posed on the table as she hovered over it, her back arched and her rear angled up. The female had been shouting relentlessly for the past ten minutes now, her infuriation aimed towards those on the other side of the room. They just stared, their eyes blank. It wouldn't be long before one of them shouted back, and thus the cycle would start all over again, leaving the rest of the more sensible members to yet again have to bear another bombardment of shrill voices. If Klo had his headphones on him, he would have easily blocked out their screeches and endorsed himself in another one of his musical harmonies, not giving a damn about the current ongoing discussion. It wasn't like he ever participated in it, anyway.

Below him, his notes were scruffy and messy. Note taking was mandatory in these discussions as individuals were to be constantly memorising and pitching their opinions in, but due to the sheer amount of numbers inside the discussion hall it wasn't like everyone got around to. Klo was pretty sure that nobody ever acknowledged his presence inside the room anyway, so there really no explanation to why the overseers would literally bite your head off if they saw you with nothing written down, did they perhaps think it would be a learning experience? Klo was forced into this moral program, just because he was one of the oldest ghouls in the ward. He didn't even have an interest in politics.

'...And that's why they deserve equal rights!' Rena had finally finished, sitting herself back down and folding her arms, looking pretty darn impressed with herself. A male on the other side of the room shook his head furiously.

'If they can't defend themselves, why should we have to baby them? We keep them in our territory while they continue to continuously suck off our funding, yet when we release them they die within a matter of days! They need to know how to survive in the real world, keeping them locked up in a magical chamber isn't going to teach them how to fend for themselves!' He shouted back. A theoretical vein popped in Rena's head.

'They're too weak to survive alone, that's why we take them in! The 9th ward is a fairly hostile place to grow up in, that's why our system exists; to manage the ghouls within this area. We can thank our S-rated ghouls for bringing the CCG upon us and placing the whole ward on high alert. The kids won't be able to survive in such a place!'

'#62 says otherwise.'

'#62 is an abnormality! Once we get our hands on him he'll be facing lifetime imprisonment, he's a major reason why we have to do this! Stupid ghoul should keep his mouth shut and stop chowing down on people, in PUBLIC no less!' Lifetime imprisonment? Where did you get your information from, Rena? Klo was pretty sure it was a death sentence.

Ah yes #62, the crow. The group had their eye on him once they had started, continuously watching his movements, even though they had failed to track him for more than two hours per day. Didn't even look like a teenager, yet the boy had killed more than the whole room put together. Barely kept his movements concealed, too. Klo could place all his blame upon him, maybe if the guy had never decided to make his home in the 9th he could continue pursuing his career in music.

A clash of hands was heard from the second floor balcony, most of the seated members turning all of their attention towards it. A bulky figure looked down upon them, unimpressed with the sight. His gaze was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine, as all that it meant was that something was about to happen. Something bad.

'I've heard you all talk quite enough about the crow, please now refrain from opening your mouths. Since we seem to still be on the subject of our younger ghoul program, does anyone know who's supervising them right now?'

'Isaac, sir.' Called a male from the bottom story. The manager nodded his head, pushing a thumb to his lips.

'That scrawny runt? Place a call down, call him up here. It'd be better if he heard this.' He replied. The male nodded before rushing to a booth on the west, immediately dialling a number. As the member's gazes averted, he cleared his throat to gather their attention once again.

'Now can we finally change topics? It's our last one for the day, yet we've already gone miles off of our deadline. It seems that I'm going to delay you from your personal lives for a bit. If you want to blame anyone, blame Verse and Rena.' The crowd groaned whilst both Verse and Rena sunk down in their chairs, trying to conceal their faces.

The last topic? Klo could guess already. Another rant about how their management of the 9th ward was failing, their grips on the higher ranked ghouls loosening as their whole system slowly collapsed. Who was today's lucky victim?

'Our last topic... Well, it's fairly obvious. It's the crow again. Today's victims still remain the same as ever... Eh, you should know that too. Sixty two. Sixty two in a mere few hours. All killed in the radius of twenty metres. A public place, no doubt.'

The crow. Of course.

'But doesn't he still have links with the organisation? Though as faint as they may be, he is still under our direct control. It shouldn't take too long for us to neutralise him.' Someone below asked, neck craned upwards. The manager sighed a bit.

'That's what I used to think, too...'

**I'm going to average the introductory chapters at about 1k words, just because I need the bump the story a bit. Once chapter one starts? Eh, I'd say chapters will average between 2k-3k. **

**I'm currently participating in Camp NaNoWriMo however, so I'll try to juggle things. This story goes towards my word count too, so it's not like I'm missing anything.**

**Trying to figure out if 'the crow' is really the antagonist or the protagonist... Hmm...**


	3. Introductory 3

**It's so cringeworthy using Champagne's real name... Oh well, what's done is done. o.o**

The young ghoul program, an institute situated deep beneath the earth. A large scale building with veneered walls and floors, it's foundations behind however fractured and decrepit. Within it lied numerous rooms, every one of them used for completely different function, some for cleaning purposes while others were strictly storage. Some rooms were uninhabited, whilst some were so populated that it felt like you were trudging through an ocean of people.

The reason why everything was so secluded was, of course, because of the CCG. If there was anything the majority of the organisation valued more than their own lives it was those of the children's, those with latent abilities yet to be undiscovered. Some pretentious members were given roles on keeping track of them when they were down there, tided up into an immaculate schedule. On right now was of course Isaac, perched on a seat with a novel gripped tightly between his fingers, half-watching the children whizz by in a ecstatic frenzy. However, one half-disappointed child wasn't participating in this engagement, sat on the side next to Isaac with his face held in his hands. Isaac was beginning to question what was wrong.

'Why aren't you playing?' He asked, his voice smooth and tender. The boy looked up, tentative amber eyes fixed on his face.

'Real ghouls don't spin around in circles, do they? Real ghouls can fight. I want to fight.' He said. Isaac stared at him, concerned.

'If they had a choice, I'm sure they'd love to do this. Unfortunately, that's not possible anymore...' He mumbled, averting his gaze towards the ceiling. The boy tilted his head to the side slightly before some sort of realisation hit him.

'Hey, you can fight can't you? Can't you teach me?'

Isaac winced a little. Yeah, he could fight. He could fight too much.

'I can fight, but I can't say I'm that good at it. If you want to be taught by a complete and total novice, then okay.' A lie. However, the boy had failed to detect it. His eyes seemed to grow stars as his mood changed from a sombre tone to more of a joyous temperament. He nodded his head furiously.

'Alright.' He said, flicking the boy on the forehead. 'I'll teach you-' noticing the shadow of a female in the corner, he sighed a bit. 'Next week, I suppose...'

The boy watched with wonder as Isaac walked away, eyeing him with total curiosity. Exiting the room, he furrowed his eyebrows and threw himself against the wall, arms slipping into a folded position.

'What do they want now? Can't they see I was having fun for once!' He seethed, his voice tinged with unconditional annoyance. The woman in front of him remained stoic, clipboard clutched to her side in an odd fashion.

'They want you there for todays debate.' She said in a professionalised manner.

'So what the hell do they want my brain for? I'm pretty sure their expertise is enough to completely take whatever this matter is on.' He said. She shrugged her shoulders.

'I dunno. Sounds serious though.'

'Yeah yeah sure it is...'

She began moving throughout the halls, to which Isaac reluctantly followed close behind. In the adjacent rooms, the clutter of sounds was erratical, clashing in a disorganised harmony. It was fairly obvious that these such rooms were used for preparation, probably either food of medical supplies. As such sounds grew distant, a gradual outline of an elevator appeared, nestled in the corner and dimmed by the lack of lights. Both of them ended up standing in it, an awkward silence revolving around the room as it gradually ascended.

Once the doors reopened, he immediately found himself standing within a domed room, the presence of invasive eyes scanning the area. It was only then that. Isaac realised where he was standing - in the direct centre of meeting hall. The clerk who had guided him quickly departed out the left door, leaving him standing there alone. From above, someone cleared their throat.

'Isaac! You've had a few flings with the crow, haven't you?' Someone said in a loud, abrasive voice. Isaac could literally feel a shiver run down his spine. 'I'm pretty sure that you're aware that every day between twelve to two o'clock exactly sixty two die to him. Because of these statistics, we are having to take drastic measurements in order to preserve and hide our organisation. We know that you've come close to death before during one of your fights with him; so, tell us. What does he look like? His kagune type, maybe?'

Isaac shuffled uneasily. Being the centre of attention wasn't exactly a calming thought, but knowing that one measly slip up was enough to end him only worsened the matter.

'Uuh...' He started. 'Last time I saw him? Gee, that was a long time ago... I think he has black hair? Quite small, always dresses in black.'

A loud, interruptive cough came from the second floor balcony. Isaac craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the perpetrator, but because of his height being such burden he only caught a glimpse of the mop of ginger hair. But such a defining detail easily triggered memories within Isaac, and he straight away knew who it was.

'Wrong,' he taunted. 'The crow is a blonde.'

Chatter erupted within the seated members, accompanied with questions that would probably never be answered. Isaac literally shrank down in his skin.

'And how do you know that, Amané?' The manager asked, intrigued by such a new influx of information.

_Don't tell him Amané, don't tell him!_

A malevolent laugh was heard emerging from the stands, followed by the continuous clicks of a pen. Slowly, the males mouth opened. Isaac braced himself for that simple phrase that would completely and utterly screw him over.

'...Because the crow is standing right in front of you.'

_Fuck you. _

**Oh, hey Amané. Welcome to the party.**

**No, I wasn't expecting to bring Amané into this. Oh well, he's here now.**

**I had to start conflict somehow, so here you go. I was going to save this for a later scene so it would have a greater impact but meh, have it now.**

**Yes, very short chapters. End of the introductory though, so from next chapter OC's will begin appearing and chapters shall be longer~! If you've been placed 'under consideration' by me, you're now officially accepted. I couldn't turn anyone down even if I wanted to. o.o'**

**I still have plot twists up my sleeve though... Huehue.**

**Plot movin too fast? Well, this little fling is probably going to be disregarded and Isaac will get off unhindered... So in reality, it's just a tad foreboading. c:**

**(Amané does this often, you see. An unfortunate Antoxymonic.)**


	4. Chapter One

**SYOC ****CLOSED****.**

**Okay, I went over my OC limit a little bit. Never mind, at least it's even now. To be honest, it looks like I'm going to have to do multiple POV's to fit everyone in. Your OC will already be acquainted with someone else's OC, just because that way it's a lot easier to do. Groups are as follows -**

**Group one - Akio Tsukino, Takiya Sazami **

**Group two - Ai Aizawa, Kagari Machado**

**Group three - Kirigaya Shun, Ryuunosuke **

**Group four - Arata Tetsumi, Makoto Fujimura **

**Aaand of course finally group five - Amané Kagoskai, Champagne/Isaac Acroina. (Also know as Chamané... Don't ask.)**

**Groups were randomly generated, so personality/history clashes are part of the fun! c:**

**For the people who may not have picked it up yet, Champagne = Isaac. Both Champagne and Amané each have a total of 4 alias'.**

**(I got myself into a tight spot last chapter, so I tried my hardest to get myself out of it while still making it seem logical. You'll undrstand once Amané's mental disorder is revealed.)**

**Introducing our two main antagonists, Champagne Acroina and Amané Kagoskai! -**

**CHAMANÉ**

For a while, the room was completely enveloped in silence. Isaac stood there in shock, half craning his neck in order to see if Amané still had that blasted angular mask over his eyes. Finally catching even the slightest glimpse, he was satisfied, quickly turning tail and bolting out of the left door, shoes clinking along the polished metal walkway. A few members eyebrows were arched, staring in suspicion as the scene unraveled in front of them. The manager, however, was unimpressed.

'I hope you realise the consequences of your actions. This is the third time over the past hour that you have blamed someone without any evidence to support such accusations.' He said, his voice stern and gruff. Amané just laughed, this time keeping the pitch under a reasonable level.

'You don't find the way he just ran out of the room suspicious? Hah! To think you're one of the top in court, a top judge!' He taunted, forcing an oppressive finger towards him. By now, the manager was trying excruciatingly hard to keep his rage under wraps, trying to avoid blowing up and losing his 'professionalism.'

'He's seventeen. I can't say that that's considered a pre-teen, mind you. It clearly states on his medical records that his growth was stunted from a young age.' The manager said. Amané smirked, covering his depravity with a hand neatly held over his mouth.

There was a moment of silence before the manager finally bellowed out his last few words. 'Continuing tomorrow at ten in the morning. Amané, you'll be receiving our VIP seats. Dismissed!'

A shuffling of papers was soon heard, the whole room immersing in perpetual chatter. Amané sighed and hauled himself from his seat, placing a hand on the banister and throwing himself off of the second balcony, landing graciously on his feet. He was by far the first one to leave, walking in an ecstatic frenzy brought on by the idea that labour was now officially over for the day. Manoeuvring through the extravagant halls of the building took a while, but eventually he took his first step outside into a suburban area, the chilled winds immediately hitting him and the overcast, monochrome skies threatening to burst at any moment. Underneath it all was Champagne, lent against the fence with arms folded and a huge scowl loitered across his face. Amané briefly waltz into view - enough time for Champagne to notice.

'You could've gotten me killed, I hope you're happy.' He seethed, the undeniable effects of anger transforming his face into a hue of red. Amané sighed and rubbed the back of his head a little, nervous laughter escaping his mouth.

'Well at least now we know that they don't suspect you?' He said candidly. Champagne refused to stop scowling.

'If they did suspect me though, what would happen? How hard do you think it would've been to hunt sixty two victims with both the CCG and the organisation on our backs?'

'They didn't suspect you, though. And even if that were to happen, I would resume your role. A little break for your ranking to wear off, you know? I'm considered inactive as it is, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if they noticed that I became active again.'

'Idiot! The whole reason that they haven't figured us out yet is because of your inactivity! You're supposed to take them out from the shadows so you don't get caught! The reason I take the main streets is because I'm stronger-'

Amané turned around. 'I know that... I get it. You should know why, though. Without my mask... I'm four times stronger than the strongest ghoul alive.' He said. An awkward silence soon followed, neither wanting to bring up the topic about the mask that laid ever-so-gracefully over both of Amané's eyes, rendering his eyesight pointless. How he still managed to walk without them was... Debatable.

'I'm killing today, you should let your activity rating go down before getting back onto the field. It's about time those assholes see me again. A blast from the past, perhaps?'

As a reaction to Amané sudden confident demeanour, Champagne raised all arms to oppose this idea. However, Amané still moved away, the final parting gift a waving hand.

'Did you not hear about anything I just said? Idiot!' Champagne shouted. Amané shot him back a scowl, his eyes seemingly tinged with a sudden burst of hatred.

'I took it into account...' He said. Before Champagne could once again protest, Amané had already rounded the corner, his footsteps growing distant.

**Yes, I failed to hit 2k so I'm going to update you with what I already have. I promise you that either later today or tomorrow I will have Group One's persepctive done, maybe alongside Group Two's!**

**I'm so sorry for the wait and for such a short chapter! I'll make it up somehow! :c**

**Blame Camp NaNoWriMo.**


	5. Chapter Two

**Group one - Akio Tsukino and Takiya Sazumi.**

'I'm only working with you to get my own back, okay?'

Those had been the last words Takiya had remarked before the two had set off into the density of the night, the constant darkness acting like a shield, covering their hinds. The two moved swiftly throughout the urban area, climbing upon roofs and lowering themselves to the confinement of the secluded alleys. Gradually approaching the area where the fight was scheduled to be, Akio couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and tuck himself behind a large, upstanding fence post. Takiya followed closely behind, his posture showing that he wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as the young male had been. Feeling as if there wasn't a need for the previous display, he took a brief look around and, seeing no one, felt the sudden need to voice his feelings.

'So we just darted through streets and alleys, climbed over buildings and foliage, just to find that there wasn't even a need to do so? To think you had me worried…' Takiya stated, his voice edged with irritation. Akio forced a finger to his own lips and shushed him before turning around and eying the roads ahead once more.

'They're all hiding, I know it.'

Takiya huffed and turned away, eyes rolling. 'Can't I just kill the doves too? Or are you just going to give me a long lecture about why I shouldn't?'

'There's thousands upon thousands of them, both you and I know that you wouldn't even stand the slightest chance. It's smarter just to remain in closure, unless of course you want to commit suicide.'

'Maybe I do…'

Akio briefly turned around and shushed him, causing a theoretical vein to pop on Takiya's broad temples.

'Fun's just about to begin. You see that clock? Once that hits twelve and you hear the chimes, you'll see him. Standing upon the church tower over there,' Akio made a quick gesture to the right. 'The crow. The one who's killed more than a thousand innocents.'

'And your collective force of doves will be enough to stop him?'

'Of course they will. Why do you care so much about him?'

'Well, can you guess who's hunting grounds these are?'

'Yours?'

'Bingo.'

Akio averted his eyes. 'As long as you keep it minimal, I don't really care.'

Upon the grand clock, the second hand gradually spiraled upwards towards the twelve. For a moment, the world seemed to silence before a flock of birds made their way overhead, coloring the sky with desultory hues of white and black. Following after like some sort of grand entrance, a blackened figure set upon the church's roof.

A figure that looked more like a feeble young male than that of a teenager.

Guns immediately angled upwards, the alarmed civilians that were once casually walking across the street either scampering away or shielding their loved ones against the inevitable blow.

_3… 2… 1… Fire._

A cluster of bullets made their way into the sky, leaving a trail that showed monochrome shades of white. The figure jumped, twisted and avoided with ease, landing straight back onto the roof with little room for stumbling. Noticing something that had been blatantly obvious from the start, a shrill voice called out beneath them.

'That's not the crow, it's Arrow! Inactive ghoul Arrow!'

The tension within the doves assemblement immediately turned down a notch before suddenly rearing up once again. Inaudible negotiations were held between them, the members stumbling over what to do next.

'YOU IDIOT!' screamed a voice upon the roofs, seemingly approaching the church roof at full force. Within an instant, another figure had appeared and pulled the previous one into a headlock, the two losing ground and tumbling over the edge. Approaching the ground at a record-breaking pace, black wings had sprouted out of the both of them, minimizing their speed in an attempt to survive the fall. Landing not-so-graciously onto the ground, the two were successful.

'What the fuck?!' The original one seethed, pushing the other from atop of him and hurling him towards the serrated brick walls of the church. 'Our advantage, gone! Just like that! What do you have, a thick skull?'

The other one hauled himself back up, shielding his forehead which was now torn and ripped, streams of scarlet trickling down his right cheek. 'Idiot! Not yet! Move! They'll shoot!'

Another bombardment of shells pieced the air, but the two were already far away from their reachable grasp, rounding the nearest corner and skidding out of sight. Watching the scene unravel in front of him, Akio had the sudden impulse to lift himself up into plain sight and break for the now-unoccupied center of the street, as much to Takiya's annoyance. Even throughout his constant mumbling, the male had decided to catch up, which hadn't been an issue due to his sheer size in comparison to Akio's.

'The point of that was?' He asked, a figurative facepalm aimed straight for the direct center of his face. Akio once again shushed him - something that Takiya was beginning to become tired of - and pointed his finger towards the side of the alleyway. Sure enough, a limber figure leaned against the wall, arms folded and head cocked to the side slightly. Akio lowered his arm and positioned himself.

'I knew you wouldn't run off.' Said Akio. The figure pushed himself off of the wall, a slight chuckle escaping his lips.

'Of course I wouldn't, who do you think I am?'

**AAAND FIGHT INBOUND! -Sorry, I need action.-**

**I actually spelt facepalm falmpalm before I corrected it, no lie. **

**Yeah, here's the other half of the 2k I promised. Not really in the same chapter, but oh well. xD**

**Of course, I'm no troll, so I'll gift another 1k to group one before switching. Oh, and how were the OCs portrayed this chapter? This match-up was really hard because I had to find a way where they would not be at each other's throats… Heh, I failed. I feel as if though I under-represented Takiya though, even with Akio basically holding him down he probably would've still gone mad… Oh well, pretend it never happened. At least I made him slightly annoyed? ^^'**

**Expect another chapter either tomorrow or the day after, shorter chapters mean more frequent updates! :D**

**-I'm doing short ones because I need to recharge after Camp NaNoWriMo... I literally writ 2.4k from 8pm to 12am every single damn day for the whole of April. Because I only write from 8pm onwards... Well, chapters are shorter-**


	6. Chapter Three

**2 DAYS LATE. OH MAH GOD, I'M SORRY.**

**(Continuation from last chapter.)**

'I know who you are, I don't need to think about anything. I also know why you do what you do . . .'

Stillness raised in the air, followed by the imitating presence of running car engines hastening through the parallel streets. Aiko, Takiya and Amané stood in silence, the only communication exchanged the brief eye contact between the three of them.

Amané took a few brief steps, stopping a few meters away from the two. 'Then I guess the what we do can be overlooked, can't it?'

'Not exactly. Nothing can justify the death of a thousand. Your reason can't even justify a twentieth.' Aiko said, his words tinted with a semi-taunt. Amané's confident façade suddenly diminished and a position of offense was taken. 'Your reason . . . To protect a pile of metal!'

'To protect . . . A pile of metal? I saved a life! That so called _pile of metal _IS A LIFE!' Amané seethed, his words combined with his now-moving feet a cacophony. Fuelled strictly by adrenaline, Amané dove for him, but Aiko simply side-stepped out of the way. Clattering onto the ground, Amané had little chance to rethink his options.

'Many lives are lost everyday to support that one life; a life that should've been lost a long time ago . . . . I'm here to put an end to that so called _life_. I wasn't planning to see you here, let alone get in my way.'

'_I won't let you_ . . . Not on my life!' He yelled, hauling his unsteady body back onto it's feet. Once again the pitch black kagune stretched out from his back, a stark contrast in comparison to the daylight. With eyes showing nothing but pure murderous intent, Akio readied himself, but with an outstretched hand from Takiya falling in front of him Akio could do little.

'You want that pile of metal or whatever the hell you were talking about, don't you? Then go. I'll handle it here.' Said Takiya. Akio opened his mouth to protest, but realising it's futility he nodded and turned tail.

'Cute.' Amané laughed, propelling himself off the floor and shooting straight past Takiya, implanting his foot into the ground and launching himself straight into his back. 'Puts you at a disadvantage, but cute.'

Takiya only took a brief moment to stumble before resuming position, raising his arm and striking the back on Amané's neck. Rolling straight back onto the ground again, Amané clutched the area of impact viciously in an attempt to halt the spreading pain. A fatal blow that was just narrowly avoided.

'God . . . I haven't fought in such a long time . . . .' He squeaked out between breaths. 'I'm an imbecile . . . I know who you are now.'

**Kirou Montecola**

'Northgate machinery, correct? How can you be so sure?'

The balding male looked away briefly, eyes scanning the rest of the reception tentatively before finally stating his reply. 'Their bodies are made of pure metal. The female displayed extreme resistance before finally being caught, something that normal AI's aren't capable of. This leads me to believe that they aren't some fakes, but the real deal.' He said, his fluidity interrupted by the constant stuttering. Kirou raised an eyebrow.

'I'm only your superior, I'm not here to hurt you. You really shouldn't be anxious, you'll lose your reputation. Anyway, bring her in.'

'As wished, sire.'

Grand mahogany doors squeaked open on their hinges, revealing a shackled figure with a large party of people behind them. Forced forward by extended arms, the female stumbled into the room, an expression that showed nothing but sheer aggressiveness loitered across her face. Kirou smirked.

'And how did you find her?' He asked. The male turned to him.

'Stupid enough to walk over a metal detector. The company called in to us and... Well, she's here now.'

'Were you really?' He said, placing a hand on her chin. 'Tell me, where are the other two?'

'You'll have to kill me before I tell you!' She seethed, her voice glazed with venom. Kirou just simply chuckled.

'If your AI wasn't so damn complicated, I would've made you hunt them both down yourself. Those Northgate employees did a good job designing you, that's for sure. It doesn't matter, anyway. I'll find them, then our plan can be carried out.'

'What do you even plan to do to us anyway?' She asked, her voice harried. 'The last three survivors of Northgate...'

'Make copies of you, of course. Your extensive coding is amazing, alongside with your ability to completely blend in with civilisation with no suspicion aroused . . . . Unfortunately, all of this was lost when the peacebringers decided to down it a few years . . . But with the technology here in Ethore, we may be able to make our dream . . . A reality.'

'You don't have to do this, don't you understand! There's a reason we were all destroyed!'

Kirou let go of her and stepped back a little. 'Because all of the peacebringers were idiots? Didn't they see what this technology could amount to?'

'It's because artificial lifeforms don't deserve to exist! It's unethical and pointless . . . I never wanted to live past my death! Why am I still alive!? Please . . . Stop.' If a machine could cry, tears would have certainly been lost by now. However, Kirou just turned a blind eye.

'I know that, _Emiki_.' He said. Hearing the sudden use of her name that she had so quietly kept concealed, Emiki's eyes widened. 'But that's why I do what I do. As long as there's a mastermind working behind the scenes, no harm will come to humanity. Machines aren't supposed to have emotions, so I'll build the replicas with none installed. Your worries are answered . . . .'

**Aiko certainly knows a lot... **

**Mah god. I never meant to introduce a new OC, let alone three (yep, three). Oh well. I never envisioned Kirou being some mastermind behind some cooperation... My mind continues to surprise me. ANYWAY.**

**That fight scene was... Not the best in my opinion. I was making the whole thing up from Takiya's part, and Amané's abilities still haven't been converted from Falling Deep. Oh well, enjoy my failure.**

**And enjoy my favourite character... ALiVE.**


End file.
